Star also paid a massive $2.55 billion last year for the media rights to the BCCI's lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament. That five year deal also starts from 2018.

"It was a hat-trick (by Star), beginning with the IPL broadcast and then the production and finally the home broadcast for five years also," Chaudhary told reporters in Mumbai.

"If we compare the figures for IPL broadcast rights and the current one, then the IPL figure per match - for 300 matches - was 54.49 million rupees ($845,000) and this figure is far ahead than that, for the 102 matches."

The first internet rights auction in cricket - with each rival having a unique log on for bidding - lasted for three days before Star placed its winning bid.

Initially six companies, including Facebook and Google, entered the fray to bid for international and domestic matches in India from April 15, 2018 to March 31, 2023.